Preventive Medicine Quiz

After dealing with chemotherapy for almost a year Heidi gained a new appreciation for non-invasive and non-pharmaceutical approaches to medicine (though at times they are necessary). Of course Heidi always points out that the best way to avoid any sort of recovery is to not get sick in the first place and this is done by healthy living.

I absolutely love this about Heidi. She wants to help people but do so by introducing healthy choices, noninvasive procedures, and without cutting someone open or pouring pills down their gullet.

In an effort to understand Heidi’s thinking and motivation and a way to connect with her I found a great book called Ultraprevetntion by Doctors Mark Hyman and Mark Liponis. They also have a very useful webpage, www.ultraprevention.com, check it out, it’s interesting and there are a lot of useful tools.

Anyway, the book starts with a short quiz on preventive health that everyone who really cares about their health should be able to answer. Unfortunately, I’m not exactly the spitting image of good health so I got plenty of them wrong. See how you do.

1. Your busy and you don’t have a lot of time for breakfast. What is the healthiest option?
1. ½ bagel with a tablespoon of jam, a glass of OJ.
2. Oatmeal, 2 slices whole wheat toast with margarine.
3. Raisin bran cereal with slim milk.
4. Mushroom, pepper, onion omelet.
2. You’re getting a physical. Which blood test provides you with an inside track at preventing heart attack, stroke, dementia, and some forms of cancer?
1. Cholesterol
2. Blood sugar
3. Vitamin E
4. Homocysteine
3. There are lots of harmful substances and chemicals in our day-to-day environment. Which is the most common toxin with the most potential to become the most serious toxic threat in the USA?
1. Pesticides
2. Artificial sweeteners
3. Radiation
4. Mercury
4. Your weight is always just a few more pounds than you desire despite exercise. What would be the most useful addition to one’s exercise regime?
1. Go to a spa for a week
2. Walk 30 minutes a day
3. Weight training 3 times a week
4. Chew gum all day long
5. The media portrays a lot of hazards in common everyday activities. Which is the most perilous?
1. Golfing 3 times a week
2. Taking antibiotics periodically
3. Sending your clothes to the dry cleaners
4. Talking on your cell phone daily
6. Which of the following is the most valid reason for not taking vitamins?
1. Scientific studies have never shown vitamins to be beneficial
2. Recent studies show that Vitamin C can clog arteries
3. I’m a vegetarian and carefully watch what I eat so I get all my vitamins from food.
4. I eat plenty of good foods so I don’t need additional supplements.
5. I eat lightly
7. You recently have lost weight and improved your blood pressure. Now you need to lower your cholesterol. What is the best way to do this?
1. Start taking a cholesterol lowering medication
2. Increase your exercise and going to the gym and lifting weights
3. Reduce your fat intake: reduce red meat intake, butter and eggs
4. Eat more fat from sources such as walnuts, avocados, and eggs, cut out bread, sugar, and pasta
8. What is one the best thing you can do for your brain to increase longevity and function?
1. Cut tuna and swordfish from your diet
2. Reduce your intake of sugar and refined carbohydrates
3. Drink one glass of red wine daily
4. Take 1mg of folic acid daily
9. You are granted one wish but it has to be one of the following. Which would be the best one to choose for your health?
1. Protect me from cancer the rest of my life
2. Allow me to eat as much as I want and never gain weight
3. Protect me from the dangerous effects of our healthcare system’s errors
4. Eliminate all stress in my life
10. (For women only.) Your family has a history of breast cancer. What is the most important step you can take to reduce your risk?
1. Eat more broccoli
2. Get on a diligent schedule of monthly breast self-exams
3. Have an annual mammogram
4. Reduce fat in your diet

Now the book does a great job of explaining each answer and why they are right or wrong. Anyway, here are your answers. 1.(d) 2.(d) 3.(d) 4.(c) 5.sorry, (a,b,c,d) are all correct 6.(e) 7.(d) 8.another trick question, (a,b,c,d) 9.(d) 10.(a)

But Heidi’s passion for preventive medicine is yet another reason I love her. She has introduced me to a world of self-awareness, prevention, and with a lot of hard work and some luck hopefully happiness too.